Grease-cup plug



April z2 A19.24. A 1,491,137

W. A. GILLESPIE GREASE CUP PLUG Filed May 4A 1922 Patented Apr. 22,1924. f

iuiiiliTEQ STATES herald?? PATENT OFFCE,

WARREN A.. GILLESPIE, or STAMPS, ARKANSAS.

GREASE-cur PIJ-oe,

Application filed May 1922. Serial No. 558,344'.

TocZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WARREN A. GILLES- Prn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Stamps, in the county of Lafayette and State ofArkansas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Grease-Cup Plugs, of which the following is a specification. f

rlhe invention has reference to a plug for grease cups and particularlyto an'improved type of plug having a self locking feature whereby itwill automatically become wedged to the cup when screwed therein.

An additional object of invention is to provide a plug having a lockengageable with the threads of the cup to prevent looseness of the plugor loss through vibration, the plug being thereby prevented from anyoutward movement from the cup until the thread lock is released.

A further and additional object of the invention is to provide a plugwhich can be manufactured cheaply and which can be applied to any greasecup without requiring the use of special tools.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent during the continuance of the following description.

1n the drawings Figure 1 is a view disclosing the invention as appliedto the side rods of a locomotive.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the plug showing the cap in place.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the center of the plug.

Figure is a similar sectional view taken at right angles to the sectionshown in the preceding figures, and

Figure 5 is a detailed view, in perspective, of the cap plate.

Although the drawings illustrate the invention as applied to an enginefor the purpose of eliminating the danger of losing a plug from thegrease cups of the locomotive side rods, it is of course obvious thatthe invention can be applied equally well to grease cups locatedelsewhere and it is not intended that the scope of the invention be inany way limited by the present showing.

The plug, indicated at 10, may be of iron or any other suitable materialand of any diameter to lit recess 11. The plug is threaded externally asindicated at 12 and screws into the cup which is threaded on the insideas shovvni A portion of the plug is cut away to provide a pocket 13opening outs wardly through a portion of the top and one side of theplug.

On opposite sides the pocket is provided with vertically extendinggrooves 14 which have their inner terminals spaced upwardly fromthe-bottom of the pocket as may be seen in Figures 3 and i of thedrawings. These grooves or ways 14 receive the slidearm 1 5 of a capplate 16 which fits over the top of the plug. Cap plate 16 is fastenedto the plug by suitable screws 17 and serves to cover pocket 13,beingprovided, however, with a square central opening 18, as shown. Thisopening is to allow a wrench to be in sertedin pocket 13 yfor operatinglock niembers 19. Lock 19con`sists of a bar having an end 2G adapted forengagement with the threadof the grease cup and carrying trunnions 21which have a journalled bearingin grooves 14. Lock bar 19 pivots orrocks on the trunnions and is normally in locked engagement with therthreads of the cup as shown in Figure 3. It may be. caused to assumethis position by reason of the heavier` weightof the bar at its outsideend or the inner end of the bar may be forced'up by an elastic elementsuch as a spring 21 which will cause end 20 to press against the insidethreads of the cup.

The lock is held firmly in place by reason of arms 15 of the top platewhich bear down upon the trunnions of the lock member with sufiicientpressure to hold vthe latter in place although free to rock from side toside.

When plug l10 is screwed into a grease cap, end 2O of the lock barrideseasily over the thread of the cup but any backing of the plugcauses the bar to bind more firmly against the thread, preventing theremoving of the plug. In order that the plug may be properly removedfrom the cup when required, it is only necessary to insert a suitablewrench through the square opening of the cap plate so as to press downthe inside end of the lock causing the outer end to raise thereby takingthe lock 0E the thread and enabling the plug to be unscrewed from thecap. The top or cap plate 16 of the plug serves to retain the lock unitsin place and also provides the square opening for the insertion of thewrench. A plug of this character will act indefinitely as 'a selflocking feature and eliminate the danger of losing the plug. It may beused with or 19 may be made heavier'er' slightly ed cenwithout spring 21as the 'outery end of bar ter causing the outer end to maintain aWedging ei'ect against the inside of the threads of the cup.

No special tools are required tov apply the plug as it can be readilyinserted or removed from a grease cup by such tools as are used onordinary rod cup plug.

From the 'foregoing it is believed that the advantages and novelfeatures of the invention Will be readily understood and thereforefurther detailed description is deemed unnecessary.

What is claimed is l. A look of the character specified including agrease-cup, a plug threaded therein, a lock bar mounted to rock Within apocket in the plug, one end of said bar normally engaging the threads ofthe cup, said end riding easily over the threads during the advance ofthe plug in the cup and tending to bind against the threads on anyreverse movement of the plug, and a cap plate carried by the plug forholding the lock bar Within the pocket of the latter, -said plate beingprovided with an opening for the insertion of an instrument to releasethe said lock.

2, grease cup, a plug threaded to screw into the cup and having aportion cut away tov provide a pocket opening outwardly through the topand one side of the plug, said pocket having opposite sides providedwith vertically extending grooves having their inner terminals spacedupwardly from the bottom of the pocket, a lock consisting of a barhaving one end adapted for engagement with the threads of the greasecup, said bar having trunnions 2l bearing in the grooves of the saidpocket for pivotallyT supporting the bar therein, an elastic elementdisposed in the pocket for normally elevating the inner end of the saidbar, and a cap plate covering the said pocket and being provided Withslide-arms engaged in the grooves of the pocket and bearing againstv thetrunnions of the said lock bar, said cap having a central opening topermit manipulation of the lock bar.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

VARREN A. GILLESPIE.

